How To Keep Your Begonias Over Winter.

If your begonias have been grown in pots outside then the easiest way to winterize them is to leave them in their pots and move them inside. Preparation can begin as early as August – in order to give them time to adjust – by bringing them indoors to a cool,and well-ventilated room.Begin withholding more and more water until the foliage dies back – then stop watering altogether.Leave the foliage in place to naturally die back,then within a few weeks,you will be able to remove the dried-up stem and leaves without causing damage to the tuber.

The next thing to do is to remove the tuber from the compost,clean it off and remove any damaged or soft parts with a sterilised knife.Dust it – especially any cut areas – with a fungicidal powder.From this point on the tuber can be stored until it is ready to be replanted in the spring.
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Store the tubers as a single layer inside a suitable cardboard box – spaced evenly apart – and keep them in a dry,frost-free and dark place until the spring.Alternatively,pack the tubers in dry peat,sand,sawdust,or vermiculite to prevent excessive moisture loss.